Chapter 436
There was a hint of reminiscence in the eyes of Grandma San, and she slowly began to talk to Su Miao about the past.
The maiden name of the third aunt and her grandmother was Pan. The Pan family was once a famous landlord, owning large tracts of fields and hills.
Because the Pan family is not a large family, there is no struggle for power and profit that is common in large families. Instead, the relatives are very harmonious and united, and the members of the family support each other.
When Sanpo was young, she lived in very good conditions. She lived in a spacious and bright house, and had a special "sister" to take care of her daily life.
There were not many children in the family, so there was no serious concept of favoring boys over girls, which was extremely rare in the social environment at that time.
When Sanpo was three years old, she was allowed to attend classes in a private school. When she was five years old, Sanpo officially stepped into the private school and began her systematic study.
The private school was funded by the family, but it was not limited to children in the family. Children with good character and intelligence in the village could also attend the private school with the consent of the patriarch of the Pan family.
Except for the writing brush and ink that one has to provide by oneself, everything else is free of charge. The maintenance of the private school, the required books and the teacher's tuition are all paid for by the public funds of the Pan family.
The Pan family hopes to cultivate more knowledgeable talents in this way and contribute to the future of the family and the village.
The teacher in the private school was very knowledgeable, but he was not the kind of pedantic old scholar.
He had studied abroad and participated in the revolution. During a parade, he was thrown into jail. When he came out, he was confined to a wheelchair.
When the chaos broke out, his family all went overseas, so he was left with no one to rely on after he became disabled.
When the head of the Pan family heard about Mr. Pan's situation, he invited him over and covered all his daily necessities and medical expenses.
The whole tribe treated him very kindly, hoping that he could teach the younger generation of the tribe.
The gentleman was treated with great courtesy by the Pan family, and he devoted all his efforts to teaching them. He used his rich knowledge and unique insights to cultivate many talents.
Unfortunately, we live in a turbulent era with frequent wars and social unrest, and there are many things we can do nothing about.
The once prosperous Pan family eventually fell in the tide of the times, and most of their industries were divided up.
Unfortunately, several of the most promising sons and daughters died. The head of the Pan family watched the decline of his family with grief and indignation in his heart, and eventually died in hatred.
Mr. Pan was at the end of his life at that time. He used up his remaining connections and sent several young people of the Pan family overseas, hoping that they could find a way to make a living there and continue the family's hope.
After several misfortunes, the Pan family, which was originally not very prosperous, was almost dispersed. Fortunately, a lean camel is bigger than a horse, and the valuables that the members of the family secretly hid could ensure that they would not starve to death.
When the third grandmother reached the age to get married, the elders carefully selected her and chose the Sujia Village clan which was far away from home.
On the eve of her wedding, her mother combed her hair while crying. Her tears fell on the comb and also on the heart of the third mother-in-law.
Her mother said that the Pan family suffered from a small population, so she hoped that she could marry into a large family so that they would have someone to rely on for everything.
They had carefully examined the Su family and found that their ancestors had produced talented people, and most of the family members were gentle and honest.
The family she was introduced to was not the wealthiest, but they had decent character and the mother-in-law was also gentle and had no reputation for mistreating her daughter-in-law.
She stayed away from home in the hope that she would not be implicated in future disasters. It was not easy to return home, so she would have to rely on herself in the future.
Fortunately, the elders had good vision, and the third mother-in-law lived a comfortable life after marrying in.
One Spring Festival, Su Miao's grandmother came from afar to visit her. Before she reached the village entrance, she stepped into a pit and sprained her ankle.
The brother who came with her originally said that he would carry her on his back, but he happened to run into Su Miao's grandfather. After he knew that they were here to visit his third sister-in-law, he went straight to harness the ox cart to pick them up.
At that time, Grandma Su Miao was only a teenager. She walked such a long way to see her cousin who had been with her since she was a child. She was tired and aggrieved, and started to cry. It took Grandma San to coax her for a long time before she calmed down.
Her family stayed for three days, and seeing that she was fine, they left some money and went back.
Su Miao blinked and said, "Going back? Going back just like that? My grandma isn't staying to marry my grandpa?"
"Hahaha! Little girl, what are you thinking about? At that time, your grandmother was only a little older than you are now, and she was still a child." Grandma San smiled and touched Su Miao's head.
"Oh~ then?" Su Miao asked impatiently.
"Then your grandfather joined the army. Seventeen was the ideal age for adventure, and he actually made a name for himself in the end.
Your great-grandparents passed away early, and your grandfather grew up with your third uncle.
When he first left, your Third Grandfather couldn't sleep all night, or he would wake up in the middle of the night, sweating profusely, saying he dreamed that his brothers were killed in a bombing.
I told him not to scare himself and to go to the ancestral hall and burn some incense for his ancestors."
"Then our ancestors blessed my grandfather and brought him back safely!" Su Miao said excitedly.
Sanpo's voice was full of emotion, as if she had returned to those turbulent times.
"Alas, several of the cousins who went with us are now missing. Every time your third grandfather received a letter, he would crawl to see them. A year later, only two of the eight brothers who went with him were missing.
A year later, that cousin came back with a broken leg. Oh, you should call me Second Grandpa. He said he was knocked unconscious by a bomb on the battlefield and only a few people in the entire company were left.
Your grandfather went north with another army, and he couldn't tell which one it was. We waited and waited, and a few years passed. The Tiananmen Square Massacre had already taken place, but your grandfather still didn't come back. We all thought he was gone.
A month or two later, the troops came in and we were liberated. Suddenly, one morning, your grandfather was standing at the gate alive! He was carrying your grandmother with him!
Your third uncle hugged your grandfather and cried loudly, then dragged him up the mountain to burn incense for his ancestors.
"She just appeared like that? Let me guess, my grandfather followed the army back to liberate the Guangxi area, right? Then what about my grandmother?" Su Miao was extremely curious.
"Haha~ You guessed right, your grandfather was injured, and your grandmother happened to be a nurse, so they met again. After several years, your grandmother has grown up, and your grandfather didn't recognize her at first!
It was your grandmother who mentioned my name that made him remember this little sister. A year later, your grandfather retired from the army and married your grandmother. Then your father was born, and later you were born.
It's a pity that they left too early, otherwise I would be so happy to see your father and you have achieved so much now."
Su Miao comforted her: "They can see it! They will be very happy to see it in heaven!"
But the Third Granny waved her hands and said nonchalantly, "How can I see that? They've been dead for ages, and have long since been reincarnated."
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